Nationwide Engagement in an Interdisciplinary eLearning Program on Alcohol Dependence in Japan

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Digital Health
• Addiction Medicine

Background:

• eLearning is vital for continuing medical education in Japan.
• Engagement trends in eLearning for alcohol dependence management are not well-defined.
• This study addresses the need to understand participation patterns.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze participation patterns in a nationwide eLearning program for alcohol dependence management.
• To identify regional and specialty disparities in eLearning engagement.
• To inform strategies for improving clinical skills in alcohol-related medicine.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of aggregate data from a nationwide eLearning platform (June 2025).
• Focus on prefectural, specialty, and academic society distributions.
• Evaluation of 3860 course completions from 2022-2025.

Main Results:

• Nationwide participation increased from 2022-2025.
• Tokyo, Osaka, and Kanagawa had the highest participant numbers.
• Nara, Wakayama, and Shimane prefectures showed the highest per capita participation.
• Psychiatry (52.0%) and internal medicine (39.3%) were dominant specialties.
• Most participants worked in hospitals (53.5%) and completed courses outside work hours (60%).

Conclusions:

• The eLearning initiative achieved broad adoption with notable regional and specialty variations.
• Sustained participation highlights the value of interdisciplinary collaboration.
• Digital education is increasingly important for alcohol-related medicine.